Regally-bred mare Manifique will get her chance to continue her family’s stakes legacy when she heads to Trentham on Saturday to tackle the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m).
The daughter of Champion New Zealand stallion Savabeel is out of four-time Group One winner Shez Sinsational, and will be looking to emulate the deeds of her half siblings Sinarahma and House of Cartier as black-type performers.
Manifique has established a strong record to date, having won four of her 15 starts, including her last two outings, and has earned her first tilt at black-type this weekend.
“She has really come of age now. She has never been the biggest Savabeel but she has always had the pedigree and ability, but just needed a bit of time really,” trainer Peter Didham said.
“There were some other options (for her first stakes assignment), but we just thought you could get in on the minimum (53kg) in the Manawatu Cup. it is a well-known race and is sponsored by one of my owners and good friend’s Paul Humphries and his partner.
“It is a Group race and she seems to go well at Wellington. It ticked a few boxes.”
Didham has taken it quietly with the five-year-old mare since her last win at Trentham on December 9 and is confident she will put in a good showing this weekend from barrier eight.
“She has been great and had a nice gallop this (Tuesday) morning on her own over 1000m and I was very pleased with her work,” he said.
While Didham believes she is a natural two-miler, he will be keeping her to middle distances for the immediate future, with an eye to emulating her dam’s Auckland Cup (3200m) heroics next season.
“We just want to get her through this race. She won’t be running two miles this season, that might be a target for next season,” he said.
“There are some really nice stakes races now, we are really pleased with the way stakes have come on. We just want to start slowly, get some black print this weekend and go from there.”
Didham is also looking forward to lining up exciting stablemate Fashion Icon.
The three-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag has won her last three starts and will be looking to continue that trend this weekend before a well-deserved break.
“We don’t know what her level is yet,” Didham said. “She was going to go to the paddock and I just thought this was another nice race before she has 10 days in the paddock. Then we have to decide where we are going with her.”
Belluci is another mare that has been in good form for Didham, winning fresh-up at Tauherenikau last month before runner-up at Wanganui.
She bypassed Trentham last week with a niggle and Didham is pleased they held off.
“The ideal race with her was last week over 1300m, but she had a bruised heel and was a tiny bit off, so we decided to wait a week with her,” Didham said. “From gate one I imagine she will be hitting the line strong.”
Moon Money will round out Didham’s quartet of runners.
“She has been building nicely,” Didham said. “She won nicely at Taupo and she has had no luck since. There are a couple of good runners in there, but she will be a definite top four chance.”
Looking to Otaki on Thursday, Didham will have a trio of representatives, including Glorafilia, Giannis, and debutant Hasbulla.
“Glorafilia has been working really well but has a horror draw at 16, but that is Michael McNab’s job to worry about,” Didham said.
“Giannis goes okay but needs to improve a little bit in the mile maiden.
“I have got a filly called Hasbulla that has won two trials. She has a tricky draw of 12, but we have got to run, she has been in and out and drawn wide a couple of times, so we are going to have a go on raceday.”
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